Andray Blatche likes to joke around, but he’s serious about playing on the Filipino national team.

Blatche confirmed a report in The Philippine Star he’s considering joining the team for this summer’s FIBA World Cup of Basketball.

“I’m interested, so there’s a good chance of it happening,” Blatche said after Thursday’s practice. “So I’m looking at it from a standpoint where I can go somewhere I’ve never been before, and it’s an early head start to get ready for the season.”

Both Blatche and former Wizards teammate JaVale McGee are being pursued by the Filipino national team to participate in the World Cup, formerly called the World Championships, which will be held in September in Spain.

But even Blatche didn’t seem as if he had a great deal of information about what the experience would entail.

“Basically just go over there and … just win,” he said. “Just play hoop … whatever. I don’t know.

“I’m not too sure about anything about it. … They brought it to me and I was like, ‘Yeah, it sounds cool.’ ”

According to The Philippine Star report, a Filipino Congressman has introduced naturalization papers to make both Blatche and McGee naturalized citizens, which could pave the way for both of them to play in the World Cup. Doing so would prevent both players from participating in international competition for any other national team, but it’s unlikely either would ever be considered for the U.S. national team.

“We’re in discussion with JaVale,” national team coach Chot Reyes said in the report. “However, he’s just found out that he needs to undergo a procedure for his shin injury. With that development, it’s prudent also to choose a backup. Blatche agreed to undergo the naturalization process. He wants to play for the Philippines.”

Mason Plumlee was honored to get a chance to represent the Nets at next month’s Rising Stars Game in New Orleans during All-Star Weekend, but he won’t be rubbing it in the face of his brother, Miles, that he’ll be the only one participating.

“I really felt like he should have been invited anyway,” Mason Plumlee said of Miles, who has had a breakout season in Phoenix after a trade from Indiana during the offseason. “It’s not like that with me and my brother. … He’s happy for me, but I’m not going to brag about it.”

That said, Plumlee didn’t hide the fact that it meant a lot to him to make the team after being taken in the back half of the first round in the draft last June.

“It’s a big deal,” said Plumlee, the 22nd overall pick in the 2013 draft. “I think if you would have asked people on draft night who would be in this game, I don’t think they would have said me.

“So, to me, it’s a big deal. It’s something I was hoping to make starting out the season, and coach played me and I got a chance to make it, so I was very excited.”

Plumlee has seen his playing time drop since the Nets downsized to their smaller lineup full time at the beginning of January, when they began using Kevin Garnett and Blatche almost exclusively at center as the lone big man on the floor. But Plumlee, who is averaging 5.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, said the Nets’ winning makes it easier to have to sit and watch.

“I wouldn’t say discouraged, but it’s harder,” Plumlee said when asked if it was tough sitting out. “You sit through a game and you realize, ‘I haven’t done anything, I’ve still got to get my work in.’

“It’s harder in that sense, time-wise, because you’ve got to stay in shape and it’s more on your own. But I’m not discouraged, I’m still ready when they need me and hopefully they’ll need me at some point. But when things are going well, you don’t want to mess with anything.”